Constance

Constance is 21 years old. She would like to be in college and do what people her age do, but she can’t because she did not have the money to pay college tuition. Constance has not given up hope of ever going to college. She has started a business as a mobile money transfer agent in her home city of Chingola in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia.

Constance’s biggest dream is to expand her business beyond her home town. She intends to be able to handle huge sums of money as this will enable her to have more profits. However, Constance faces the challenge of having little capital for her business. This means that she cannot conduct transfers that require large sums of money to be received or sent. When she gets the loan, she intends to increase her working capital so that she will be able to handle bigger transfers of money. When she has grown her business, Constance wants to go to college while continuing to run her business.

Constance is convinced that her business is helping her community because many do not know how to read and write and her money transfers do not require complicated paperwork. Also, she provides personalized services so her customers always get all the help they need. This, she believes, is the competitive edge that her business has that will help make enough profits to realize her dream of going to college

In this Video, Constance is being interviewed by a representative from Mobile Transactions.

Additional Information

More information about this loan

This loan is designed for Zoona agents, enabling them to access the working capital they need to process frequent and large mobile money transactions. Loans can also be used to help agents open new transaction booths to serve more customers, increasing the number of Zambians who have access to mobile banking technology.Kiva loans are structured so that a percentage of an agent's monthly revenue is used to repay. Because the exact amount of these repayments is uncertain, we have structured this loan's repayment schedule to include just one payment at the end of the loan term. That said, lenders can expect to receive payments throughout the loan term as this agent earns revenue and pays back the loan.

About Zoona:

Zoona is a mobile money operator that invests in emerging entrepreneurs in Africa who are transforming their communities.

In Africa, there is a tremendous pool of entrepreneurs, business owners, and young people who dream of making money and serving their communities but who are struggling to find the resources and support to reach their full potential.

Zoona offers entrepreneurs an opportunity to build their own businesses and create wealth and employment through mobile payment solutions, financial services, business management tools and support.

The network of Zoona outlets in urban and rural areas enables unbanked and financially excluded individuals the ability to transact in an easy, quick and safe manner with family, friends, and other service providers. This is a step change improvement in countries like Zambia, where the majority of transactions are still conducted in cash and are thus inefficient, insecure, and expensive. Zoona's unique model of enabling emerging entrepreneurs to provide mobile money services to consumers has the potential to significantly push the boundaries of financial inclusion in Africa.